


of a shyness that is criminally vulgar

by whipbatch



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), Ineffable Idiots (Good Omens), M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, brief angst in the beginning, but no worries they'll sort it out, crowley is an emotional mess as usual, the happiest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 09:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19438312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whipbatch/pseuds/whipbatch
Summary: Crowley hates weddings and marriage. Until a certain angel comes along and now he thinks being married is not too bad after all.Crowley is an emotional mess who wants to propose and wants to make everything perfect.I promise you this has the sweetest ending.Title taken from "How Soon is Now" by the Smiths.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> headcanon from my tumblr @jeremiebrett who just didn't leave my head until I wrote a fic about it and voilà, here it is.
> 
> not beta-ed, english is not my first language. I apologise for any mistakes.
> 
> please let me know if you enjoyed it, I'm still new to the whole writing fics thingy.

Crowley was sweating. His body barely showed any reactions that would be considered typically human except for very stressful situations. And Crowley had been freaking out for weeks. 

...

It all started about a month ago. Crowley and Aziraphale were sitting on their favourite secluded bench at St James's park, eating sandwiches, watching people passing by and talking about whatever came to their minds. They've visited this particular park countless times over the years, always being cautious and focusing on their task to look as casual as possible. But they were sitting quite close these days – after they averted the apocalypse and successfully tricked Heaven and Hell, they had a long talk with more tears than Crowley would like to admit, they finally felt free to live their lives as partners, lovers and two halves completing each other. Crowley hated to admit it, but he loved being called Aziraphale's boyfriend.

All of a sudden, Aziraphale gasped. “Look my dear, isn't that adorable?”, he asked, pointing his finger to a group of people a hundred metres away from them. They were clearly setting up a wedding photo shoot, both of the grooms looking dapper in their suits and smiling lovingly at each other. 

“Mmhh”, Crowley responded, still chewing on his sandwich.

“Oh isn't it lovely that this is allowed these days”, Aziraphale said. “And they look so much in love! This must be a wonderful day for those gentlemen. They're celebrating with all their loved ones and nobody seems to disapprove. What a relief love like this isn't illegal any more these days.”

Crowley hummed in response.

“I love weddings”, Aziraphale continued. “It's such a wonderful celebration of two people having found each other.” He looked over at Crowley, who was still rather focused on his sandwich. “I'll stop now my dear, I'm sorry. I know you don't like weddings. Or-...or do you?”

Crowley turned to look directly at Aziraphale, who looked at him with hopeful eyes. He swallowed. “Nah”, he responded automatically. “Too much fuss and one of humanity's dumbest ideas.”

Aziraphale looked quite defeated. “Yeah...I know love, sorry I brought it up.” Crowley felt his throat tighten and had to avert his gaze, he just couldn't look into the angel's sad eyes any more.

“Anyway”, Aziraphale said loudly. “Tell me about the plant you bought today. How's it doing?”

Crowley swallowed and followed the angel's command to change the topic, the sad expression in Aziraphale's eyes burned into his mind.

…

The thing is, Aziraphale was right. Crowley really didn't like weddings and the idea of marriage. He had always detested the idea of two people publicly declaring their love for each other in a nauseatingly romantic way. He also didn't understand the fuss they made about locations, meals, cakes, clothing and decoration. And the whole ceremony with crying people, romantic music and soppy vows – he truly didn't get it.

Until now. With his angel, everything was different. Crowley felt things he never thought he was even allowed to feel and with his love being reciprocated – his stance on lots of things concerning love and romance started to change. He never thought that things like kissing, cuddling, going out for dates could be something he could enjoy, could initiate, even. But now he was in a relationship with the love of his life and well...he had run out of fucks to give, so to speak. He wanted to be together with the angel and express his love in all kinds of ways. And the angel was only too glad to give everything back a hundred times more intense. 

Once Aziraphale found out Crowley loved him, too, there was no holding back. He showered the demon with love, affection, little gifts, affectionate gestures and Crowley had no idea how he deserved it. He still struggled with the fact that apparently he was a being worthy of love – and he felt bad that he couldn't find as many ways as the angel to express his love. Crowley hated to admit it, but deep down, he was a very insecure and shy person and he didn't know how to break out of this shell, often reacting with harsh comments that he regretted instantly.

Currently, he regretted everything he said at the park when Aziraphale had talked about marriage. The angel had looked so happy and hopeful, only to be shut down by Crowley's remark about not liking marriage. But the more Crowley came to think of it, the more he warmed up to the idea of actually being married to his angel. He could even imagine himself wearing a nice black suit and having a ceremony, exchanging rings and then celebrate with the handful of people they actually liked.

Over the next few weeks, this little fantasy firmly stayed in Crowley's head, whether he liked it or not. He thought of the sad angel sitting next to him on the park bench, about how happy he would be if Crowley did want to marry him. Crowley had to admit that the longer he thought about it, the more he wanted to marry Aziraphale, too. He was so lost in thought all the time that even the angel noticed and asked him if he was feeling alright. Crowley had laughed it off every time, declaring that the angel was imagining things.

He had to propose to his angel, there was no other option – but he needed to make sure that everything was absolutely perfect when he did it. Aziraphale was so loving and affectionate and perfect, it was time that Crowley paid him back. 

And so for the next few weeks, he planned.


	2. Chapter 2

Crowley cursed. His fingers were shaking so much he dropped the keys of his Bentley three times before he managed to unlock the car. 

Earlier that day, he told Aziraphale that he would pick him up for dinner at six and that he should wear his nicest suit. Aziraphale had frowned at that last comment, but promised he would dress 'nice and dapper' for his boyfriend.

At 5:55, Crowley stopped his Bentley in front of the bookshop and got out of the car. Aziraphale stepped out of the bookshop, locked the door and said, “You're early, dear.”

“You look nice”, Crowley mumbled. It was true – Aziraphale was wearing a white suit and had a rose in his button hole.

“So do you”, Aziraphale replied, pressing a quick kiss to the demon's lips. “Looking handsome in that black suit. So, what are you up to? Why was I supposed to dress like that?”

“Nothing special”, Crowley croaked. He tried to calm down. “Just dinner, now get in the car or we're gonna be late.”

“Will you at least tell me where we're going?”, Aziraphale asked after he got in and Crowley started speeding through London's streets.

“Just the Ritz”, Crowley replied. “Booked us a table.”

“Oh that's nice”, Aziraphale exclaimed and started holding on tightly to his seat as Crowley narrowly missed several cars an a bike. “We haven't been there in a while.”

They spent the rest of the (short, because Crowley almost flew them there) car ride in silence.

After Crowley stopped the car, he got out and walked around the car to open the door for Aziraphale. 

“Thank you darling”, the angel said and then he looked over to the restaurant's windows, noticing that the whole dining room was empty. “Are you sure they're open today?”, he asked with a frown. 

“Absolutely”, Crowley replied and offered Aziraphale his elbow.

“But it's all empty! Are you quite sure you booked us a table for today? Maybe you picked the wrong date”, Aziraphale said, intertwining his arm with Crowley's.

“Just trust me”, the demon said quietly and steered the angel towards the entrance.

…

When they got in, there was indeed a waitress looking at them expectantly.

“Reservation for Crowley”, the demon said, desperately trying to appear calm.

“Of course”, the waitress said and led them to the dining room. “I hope everything will be to your satisfaction. Please follow me.”

As soon as they entered the dining room, Aziraphale stopped dead in his tracks. The whole room was indeed empty, but there was a beautiful table for two right in the centre of the restaurant. Big globes were floating in the air, emitting a warm and golden light and there were countless flowers and plants placed around the table. Soft piano music was playing in the background, and Aziraphale realised it was one of their favourite pieces. Everything looked heavenly, like their own little Eden.

“Crowley”, he breathed. “That looks beautiful. Is this...is this for us?”

“Just for you”, Crowley said with a small smile. 

“But...why?”, the angel asked. “I didn't miss an anniversary or something like that?” he continued, panic creeping in his voice.

“No, don't worry angel. I just thought I'd surprise you.”

“You did. I love it”, Aziraphale replied and kissed his demon softly.

The waitress let out a discrete cough. “Gentlemen, if you would like to sit down, I will bring your favourite wines and your appetisers in a minute.”  
Crowley moved around the table to help the angel sit, then he sank down on the other chair. 

“Don't worry, by the way”, he murmured. “Nobody will think any of this is unusual or worry about any supernatural phenomenon tonight. Also I've ordered them to cook your favourite meals and only bring your favourite wines. I hope you'll like everything.”

“Oh Crowley”, the angel murmured, a beautiful blush colouring his cheeks. “You shouldn't make such a fuss about me.”

“You deserve it, angel. You deserve it every single time someone makes a fuss”, Crowley replied quietly which only reddened the angel's cheeks even more. “And now, let's enjoy our dinner.”

Two waitresses came in, bringing them wine and food, making sure every wish they had was fulfilled. Aziraphale clearly and vocally enjoyed every sip and every bite, cherishing everything they put on his plate. 

Crowley couldn't eat anything, he was so nervous he thought his heart might jump out of his chest. He feared that if he tried to eat he would throw up immediately and that would have certainly ruined the mood. Thankfully it wasn't unusual that he didn't eat when they went out for lunch or dinner. So he stuck with his coffee, watching his angel eat and occasionally replying to something the angel said, trying to appear as calm as possible behind his sunglasses.

When Aziraphale finished the last bite of his dessert (crêpes of course), he sunk back in his chair with a sigh and patted his stomach contentedly. 

“That was absolutely divine”, he said happily. “Thank you, my dear.” He gently laid his hand on Crowley's, which was resting on the table.

“You're welcome angel”, Crowley mumbled, not trusting his voice any more.

“Darling, why don't you take those glasses off?” the angel asked softly, leaning forward. “It's just you and me and you said yourself those people won't remember anything.”

“O-ok”, Crowley responded. He had kept the glasses on to have one last barrier, one last crutch to cling onto this evening, so he reluctantly took them off and looked at the angel.

“See, much better”, the angel smiled and squeezed his hand. “So beautiful.”

Crowley blushed and suddenly the box with the ring he hid in his jacked seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

“Listen, angel”, he started. “There's some-something I need to tell you.”

“Yes?”, the angel replied, worry starting to show on his face. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, no- I-I mean”, the demon stuttered. “Do you remember the conversation we had in the park a few weeks ago? When you saw the wedding shoot?”

Aziraphale averted his gaze. “Yes I do. You said marriage was one of humanity's dumbest ideas”, he replied quietly.

“I did”, Crowley said with a pained expression. “And I still-I mean I don't-” He took a big, shuddering breath.

“What I'm trying to say is, I always thought marriage was stupid. I always thought two people loudly declaring their love for each other in a sickeningly romantic way was stupid. But with you, angel”, Crowley turned his shaking hand around to intertwine their fingers, “with you it's different. You're the love of my life, angel. You are everything to me and I spent the last few weeks thinking about how much I love you and how much you – although I still don't know why – how much you seem to love me and-and....you do so much for me. You love me in so many ways and I-” 

Crowley had to pause to catch his breath and blink the tears away that were collecting in his eyes.

“I – I don't mind the thought of being married to you. I rather love it, in fact. I want the whole world to know that I love you and you love me. And I apologise for being so rude about it. I'm sorry. And I know I need to make it up to you and p-prove to you that I WANT to be with you for the rest of our lives and that I want to be more than your boyfriend. I would love to celebrate with you and publicly tell you how much I love you and proudly wear a ring to show everyone I am taken.”

Crowley pulled out the box from his jacket pocket and clumsily tried to open in with one hand as he sank to his knee in front of the angel, who just looked at him with wide eyes.

“A-Aziraphale”, he croaked. “You are the love of my life and nothing would make me happier than being able to call you my husband. Will you marry me?”

The whole room fell completely silent as Aziraphale just stared at the stuttering and misty-eyed demon in front of him who looked back with more and more panic in his face as the seconds passed by.

“And this is...something you want as well?” Aziraphale finally managed to say. “It's not just because you think it's something I would want?”

“No!”, Crowley said desperately. “I love you and I want to marry you, it just took me way too long to realise. I- please, I want it, I truly w-”

“YES”, Aziraphale cut him off. He was smiling so brightly he seemed to glow even more than the globes floating around them. “Yes, Crowley, I will marry you, I love you.”

Crowley sobbed in relief and let himself be pulled up by the angel who gently took his face in his hands and looked deep into his serpent eyes.

“Nothing would make me happier”, he said gently. “Than to be able to call myself your husband.”

Crowley couldn't say anything, so he pressed his lips to the angel's plush mouth and kissed him until he felt he was able to speak again. All the globes started glowing even more intensely and if you listened closely, one could hear nightingales sing in tune to the piano music.

“Oh darling”, Aziraphale breathed, gently wiping off the tears that wet Crowley's cheeks. “That was such a wonderful surprise. I love you.”

“I love you too”, the demon replied, suddenly remembering the ring he still held in one hand. “I-I hope you like it”, he stammered and tried to put it on Aziraphale's finger, hands still shaking.

“It's gorgeous”, the angel assured him, now properly admiring the ring. It was a thin band of gold and there was a blue stone embedded into it.  
“The colour, it-it reminded me of your eyes”, Crowley said. 

“I love it, it's beautiful”. Aziraphale looked at him again. “Thank you.”

Once again overcome with relief, Crowley started kissing Aziraphale, who hummed happily and kissed him back, saying sweet words of love and adoration between breaths.

And so the angel and the demon sat there for hours, kissing, holding hands, drinking wine and then kissing some more. The floating lights never left them, piano music and nightingales singing still accompanied their sweet conversations and the blooming flowers and green plants kept surrounding them, creating their own little Eden which they didn't leave for a very long time.


End file.
